Tolerance and Non-discrimination Data Deficit”, held in 2006, ODIHR initiated a programme to provide technical assistance to support OSCE participating States in their efforts to improve hate-crime data collection and reporting. In response to an invitation from the Government of Croatia, ODIHR organized an expert meeting in Zagreb in June, with the participation of international specialists, as well as representatives of the Interior Ministry, the police, and the Office of the Prosecutor-General. Participants discussed various mechanisms, methodologies, and tools for data collection and analysis, and produced a set of recommendations for Croatia’s hate-crime data collection system. Training law enforcement officers In order to support OSCE states in their efforts to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement officials to identify and respond effectively to hate crime and engage with affected communities, ODIHR began implementing its Law Enforcement Officer Programme on Combating Hate Crime (LEOP) in Ukraine, Poland, and Serbia in 2007. In Ukraine, in co-operation with the National University of Internal Affairs, the LEOP team conducted a training course for officials from law enforcement agencies, focusing on dealing with organized hate groups and affected communities. The LEOP team also had the opportunity to train senior students and cadets from the National University who are soon to become law enforcement officers. Following a needs assessment carried out in Poland and the participation of Polish representatives at a training-of-trainers seminar in 2006, efforts were initiated in 2007 to customize the curriculum to the needs of Poland. Similarly, following an extensive needs assessment and series of meetings with government officials, officials from the Interior Ministry, and representatives of civil society, Serbian authorities commenced implementation of the LEOP programme during the second half of 2007. Given the interest in the programme by an increased number of OSCE states, ODIHR 56 Annual Report 2007 organized an international training-of-trainers seminar in London on 18-23 November. The seminar, which provided an in-depth overview of the programme for police officers, consisted of 18 learning units and presentations covering causes and manifestations of hate, police investigation of hate-motivated crimes, interaction between police and the media, co-operation between police and victims and affected communities in dealing with hate incidents, and other relevant aspects of responding to hatemotivated crimes. The training was attended by experts from 13 OSCE participating States, many of whom are now expected to adapt and implement the programme within their respective countries. The training concluded with the first annual meeting of the LEOP network, which offers support in strengthening the response of law enforcement agencies to hate crime. The members of the network are able to access training materials, resources, and tools that can ensure their effective response in combating hate crime. Training for prosecutors Building on the successful implementation of the LEOP training in Croatia, and in response to requests for additional support within other branches of the criminal-justice system, ODIHR, together with the Croatian national contact points on combating hate crime and the OSCE Mission to Croatia, organized a roundtable for international hate-crime experts and Croatian judges and prosecutors in June. The event focused on barriers to effective responses to hate crime and explored ways in which the legal tools available could be used effectively to combat hate crime. The LEOP training programme was also expanded to include components specifically dealing with prosecutors’ requirements. This focuses on proving motivation and anticipating and pre-empting likely defences through the collection of evidence.